611. The Norseman

Sbowtime’s Dramedy The Norseman streaming on Netflix

This is a find for me, quality bingeable series TV… and this is a good one. The writing is on-point. Think somewhere between Monty Python’s Flying Circus/The Holy Grail and Sons of Anarchy & you’re almost there.

Here’s the characters:

Nils Jørgen Kaalstad as Arvid, the chieftain’s second-in-command. He loves to go on raids but he also wants to settle in the village

Arvid is the loveable oaf that finds himself in command of the village. He doesn’t have deep thoughts but is kind and trusting to a fault.

Silje Torp as Frøya, a shield-maiden who joins in on raids and is married to Orm & the love interest of Arvid

Froyo is the strong woman that is married to the gay stand-in Chieftain and then falls in love with the reluctant chieftain Arvid. They are a match steeped in Valhalla.

Jon Øigarden as Jarl Varg, a rival chieftain who desires the map to the west

This guy truly looks evil but also has an element of Dr. Evil from Austin Powers. He gets his hands cut off then runs a contest among blacksmiths to come up with an adequate prosthesis. If they don’t get it right, well they die.

Øystein Martinsen as Kark, a freed slave who has voluntarily returned to his life as a slave after being institutionalized

Kark is the funniest character as a slave, a voluntary slave, who is really happy with his lot in life… as a slave. And from this show… it doesn’t sound like the slave existence under Vikings is all that pleasant.

Kåre Conradi as Orm, husband of Frøya and acting chieftain while his brother Olav, the chieftain, is on a raid & Trond Fausa Aurvåg as Rufus, an enslaved actor from Rome who befriends Orm and plans to modernize the village

Orm is in the bloodlines to be chieftain but is more interested in culture than taking care of his people. Think Scar from The Lion King but much more funny. And then there’s his buddy Rufus from Rome who is a proud Roman actor and becomes a slave. They are forever getting their bodies buried in the earth with only their heads sticking out.

You know what you are in for right from the opening scene. But trust me, you do not want to grow old in a Nordic village like on the Norseman. It’s not good.